Making memories

R started his new job this week. He works 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday through Monday. So he gets up...early. Which means we go to bed early, even by my standards -- and I have been working towards reviving my habit of rising before dawn.

Maybe it was the early bedtime, or the fact that I am sick. Or perhaps I simply no longer remember how to sleep. For whatever reason, I awoke at 4 a.m. Saturday. I got up at 4:30 with R, and saw him off to work.

The kids do not sleep well without me. Kai woke at 5, Anya at 6.

Normally I would be bustling around, practicing yoga and cleaning and making plans for the day. But we were sick; my sinuses were too angry for down dog. I had hazy plans to clean, but was in no rush.

Instead, I played with Kai. Snuggled under a blanket with both kids and watched cartoons. Nursed Kai to sleep, then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with Anya -- we even ate at the table.

These are the kinds of things they will remember. Not whether the house was clean or my to-do list checked off. I make a point of scheduling big experiences -- zoo trips and museum visits and things like that -- but I tend to lose sight of the little moments. The snuggles. The meals together. The mundane moments that become cherished memories.

So while I need to clean and work out for my own sanity, I also need to make lazy time a priority. Their childhood memories depend on it.